List Building: Choosing the Right Autoresponder

If you're just starting out with Internet Marketing, you may not even know what an autoresponder is or what it does. An autoresponder will collect and store the names and email addresses of the people who subscribe to your list. Autoresponders also keep the series of messages that you want sent out to your list at specified intervals. They will also allow you to send out periodic email messages, that are in addition to your series messages, any time you like.

That's the general description of an autoresponder for email marketing purposes. But if you're new, or even if you aren't. How do you know which is the right autoresponder for you?

Some autoresponders will only send one message, such as, the popular "I'm on Vacation," message that you sometimes get back when you send mail to other people. But a good marketing autoresponder will allow you to send unlimited messages to the people on your list.

But autoresponders have different features. Some have a "shopping cart" and payment processor built into them. Some allow you to import leads in bulk or one at a time. Others will allow you to participate in co-registration services, while others will not. Some will tell your list members when you've written a post to your blog. And on and on. So, which services do you want?

Above all the bells and whistles, the most important thing you want from an autoresponder service is reliability. Since your list is your most valuable asset, you want a service that's been around a while, that has relatively no downtime, and that has great tech support. Fly-by-night companies abound on the Internet, as I know you're aware. Do a "who is" check on the service before signing up with them. See how long they've been in business. Then, ask around in forums and such to see who else has used them and what their reliability is like. People will rush to tell you whether a service is really, really good, or if it's really, really bad. Some of them just stink!

And you don't want to house your list with them. But even if you have a reliable service, be sure that backing up your list is possible. Most if not all services allow for this, so the onus is ultimately on you to be sure to back up your data. Do it every week at least, if not every day. Of course, it depends on how many new members your list receives a day, if it's one or two, you probably won't want to back up that often, but if you get 50 or 100 a day, that would warrant backing up more often.

But even if you find a service you like and that friends have recommended contact their support department and see what it's like to deal with them. If you don't get a response or a response is slow in coming, don't sign up with them. Don't sign up with them! It's just that simple.

Some autoresponders are easier to deal with than others, there's no doubt. But you have to be comfortable working with their system, too. So, if you can get a free trial period, take it and see how it goes. Put a test squeeze page up or just the opt-in box, and join your own list. See how quickly the confirmation message arrives, and how quickly you're added as a list member. This should be almost instantaneous. If it works out well, great. If it doesn't, back away, and don't do it slowly. Before you go spending hundreds of dollars on co-registration, be sure a) that it's allowed in the autoresponder's terms of service, and b) that your list members will be deposited into your account quickly.

You may want to import some members into your new autoresponder. Maybe you're transferring them from another service, or maybe you had your own autoresponder software that you don't feel is worth the problems it's causing you. Will the new service allow it? And if the answer is yes, how long will it take? Remember that every day that your autoresponder isn't working for you, you're losing money.

There are so many things to remember when it comes to hiring your first autoresponder that it may confuse you. Don't let it stop you! These are little details that you'll be sailing through in no time. Just start. If you never start, you'll never win.

Article Source: http://www.content.onlypunjab.com

Tellman Knudson is CEO of OvercomeEverything, Inc. and a master of list building. Build a massive responsive list at MyFirstList.com.

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